News
2025

Caesars Superdome Shines With New Architectural Metals by Zahner

The Caesars Superdome has stood as a symbol of resilience, entertainment, and sportsmanship in New Orleans since its opening in 1975.

Not only the home of the New Orleans Saints, it remains one of the most celebrated venues in the country. In the Superdome in 1982, a North Carolina Tarheel freshman named Michael Jordan hit the National Championship game-winner with 16 seconds left in the game. Two years earlier, a Superdome crowd watched the last of Muhammad Ali’s 56 wins. Now, it’s set to host its 8th Super Bowl on February 5, 2025.

A $560 million renovation, led by Trahan Architects, builds on its nearly two-decade stewardship of the building.

In 2017, Trahan developed a Capital Improvements Masterplan to enhance the fan experience, improve accessibility, and modernize safety systems. The interior required aesthetic and structural upgrades, including stunning new interior spaces clad in a custom-designed and engineered Zahner metal facade.

Zahner provided Design Assist support to Trahan designers early in the process to ensure design intent and constructibility. Zahner designers, engineers, and fabrication specialists worked with Trahan on material selection, anodization, colors, and attachment points.

Gold anodized aluminum clads the newly open space inside the Superdome.

PHOTO © Tim Hursley

Zahner provided solid cladding for structural members and a veil of aluminum bars, covering the walls.

PHOTO © Tim Hursley

A key challenge in the Superdome’s renovation was integrating new escalators to improve egress and accessibility. This required cutting through the stadium’s concrete slabs, exposing raw edges that needed an elegant architectural solution.

Rather than opting for basic sheeting, Trahan envisioned a custom metal veil that would conceal structural elements and enhance the stadium’s interior visual appeal.

Zahner fabricated a series of extruded aluminum bars and panels, color-anodized in a golden hue consistent with the New Orleans Saints’ iconic gold. Zahner partnered with the experienced craftspeople at FL Crane & Sons to make this project a reality.

The new facade brings a sleek, dynamic presence to this legendary venue’s lobby areas and escalator cores, preserving its legacy while embracing its potential for future world-class events.